A.C. Calabria
| dissolved = | ground = USG Harbourside Stadium | capacity = 19,800 | owner = Calabria Club, LLC | chairman = | manager = Giampaolo Bacchetti | coach = | currentleague = League A | lastseason = | lastleaguea = League A | lastposition = 12th | current = | website = | firstgame = | largestwin = | worstdefeat = | topscorer = | fansgroup = | honours = | American = }} Associazione Calcio Calabria (officially shortened to A.C. Calabria and usually referred to simply as Calabria) is a professional football club based in Warner Bay, St. Gregory. The team plays in League A, the top professional tier of the St. Gregory Football Association. Originally formed as the footballing arm of a social club for Italian immigrants to St. Gregory, Calabria style themselves as a club representing Italian-Gregorians, who make up a large portion of the team's fan base. The club is known for favoring players from Italy or with Italian heritage. Their main rivalry is an intra-city derby with Sparta Antillen; both clubs play their home matches at USG Harbourside Stadium in Warner Bay's Harbourside district. The team had its most successful spell immediately following their maiden promotion to League A in 2001, reaching the 2002 SGFA Cup Final and becoming the first club based in Warner Bay to play a Cup Final in their home town. Their highest-ever League A finish was 8th in 2002-03. History A.C. Calabria began as the footballing arm of the Calabria Club (est. 1982), a social club for Italian immigrants to St. Gregory, particularly those from the eponymous region (Calabrese make up most of Warner Bay's Italian population and a significant percentage of Italian-Gregorians as a whole). The football club was formed in 1991 but did not turn professional until 1994, when they were admitted to League C. After struggling through their first few seasons, they gained promotion to League B in 1999 and then took just two years to crack League A for the first time. Following their promotion to League A, Calabria reached the 2002 SGFA Cup Final where they were defeated by Bonneville United, who had also won the league title that year. The following season, 2002-03, Calabria finished 8th in League A, their highest-ever finish to date. The team finished bottom of League A in 2013-14 and were relegated to League B. They narrowly missed a chance to return to League A the following season by finishing fifth, just two points behind Port St. Christopher Pirates. After a poor start to the 2015-16 League B season that saw the team win just two of their first ten matches and get knocked out in the Second Round of the SGFA Cup by amateur club Warner Bay Celtic, Calabria fired manager Marco Negretti after just nine months on the job. In addition to the change in management, the club sold midfielder and captain Toni Gallo to New Castle on January 4, 2016. In June 2016, the club hired Italian manager Giampaolo Bacchetti, who despite a slow start to his first season, took the Calabrese to a 7th-place finish in 2016-17, then the following year led the team to their third League B title and promotion back to the top flight for the first time in four seasons. Stadium Calabria have played their home matches at the 19,800-seat USG Harbourside Stadium in downtown Warner Bay since the club's admission to the professional ranks in 1994. Colors, crest and nickname The club's colors of white, black and gold were selected as an homage to the coat of arms of Calabria, the region for which the club is named. Kits The team plays in an all white kit with black and gold trim. As of 2015, the team's uniforms are supplied by Macron, who replaced Puma after their 5-year contract expired at the conclusion of the 2014-15 season. The shirt sponsor is CONA, who replaced San Pellegrino in 2015. Support The team enjoys a passionate fan following from Italian Gregorians, particularly in their home city of Warner Bay, which has a sizable Italian population. A vocal contingent of Calabria fans are known for traveling in large numbers to away games. Rivalries :Main article: Warner Bay derby Calabria's main rivals are their Warner Bay neighbors, RivalSport and Sparta Antillen; all three clubs play their home matches at Harbourside Stadium and the rivalry is collectively known as the Warner Bay derby. Sparta are considered Calabria's traditional rivals, mainly due to both clubs spending an extended time together in League B, and the ethnic divide between the two clubs: Calabria cater to Warner Bay's Italian community, while Sparta target the city's Dutch population. Calabria's return to League A for 2018-19 meant they would join RivalSport, who were promoted a year earlier, in the top flight. It marks the first season in League A history in which Warner Bay will be represented by two clubs. In the early 2000s, during Calabria's ascension to League A, they also developed a rivalry with Independence, who had come up through the ranks at roughly the same time. Players Current squad : As of July 9, 2019 Note: Players without a flag are from St. Gregory. Players with an asterisk (*) are from outside the United States or its territories, or have represented a non-U.S. territory at international level, but hold either citizenship or permanent residency in the U.S. and thus do not count towards the league cap on foreign players. Out on loan Reserves and Academy :Further information: A.C. Novello Former players :Further information: Category:A.C. Calabria players Management and support staff Managerial history :Further information: Category:A.C. Calabria managers Honors * League B: 3 :Champions: 2000-01, 2006-07, 2017-18 Category:A.C. Calabria Calabria